Wrench



' I 1,570,586 f 19 1926' J. E. KENER'SON WRENCH Filed July 10 1924 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED S TES JOSEPH E. xnlvnnsoiv, or omrronnnnn,

MASSACH S T .ASSIGNOR To TBIMQNT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ornoxnUnY, aasseonusnrrs, A conronn'rron or MASSACHUSETTS.

WRENCH.

Application filed July 10, 1924. Serial No. 725,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. KENEnsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cliftondale, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in W'renches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches of the adjustable jaw type and may be applied to pipe wrenches, monkey wrenches, or other tools provided with a sliding jaw.

Wrenches are commonly subjected to very heavy strains, asit is not unusual forthe person employing a wrench to exert his entire strength upon the wrench handle, and if this proves insuflicient for his purpose he frequently uses a heavy object to hammer upon'the handle to drive the wrench handle in the direction it is .to be turned. They are also often subjected to aseverelateral or twisting strain that tends to displace the movable jaw laterally relative to the fixed aw. J A wrench to be satisfactory, therefore, must possess the maximum strength obtainable for its size and weight, while the cost of-the same must beas low as other requirements will permit.

Thejmain object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an extremely strong and durable wrench that may be constructed at aminimum cost.

. One feature of the present invention residesin a main body portion of a wrench having spaced outwardly extending lugs that guide'the stem of the movable jaw, and which are formed integral with the main body portionlso that they possess maximum strength.

Another feature of the invention resides in a housing that slidably secures the stem of the movable jaw to the main body portion of the wrench,and which abuts against the outwardly extending lugs so that they assist in holding the housingin place.

Another feature of the invention resides in guiding means for the stem of the mov- .able jaw, and consisting of one pair of the wrench and a second pair of lugs posispaced lugs located near the fixed jaw of tioned a substantial distance from the first thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a pipe wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention Fig. 2 is a perspecti housing to be described;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the body portion of the wrench of Fig. 1 with the housing removed;

Fig. l is a sectional view taken on the line 4-1 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. r r 1 :In the embodiment of the invention shown, the'main body portion of the wrench has a jaw 10, and a shank 11 that connects the jaw to the handle 12. In thev construction shown, the jaw 10, shank 11 and handle '12 are formed as an integral unit, and while this is desirable it is not an essential feature ,of the present invention.

I The relatively movable aw of the wrench consists of the jaw portion 13 and threaded stem 14.

' The main body portion-of the wrench has a bearing surface '15 upon which the .stem 14 slides as the movable jaw is adjusted to wards and from the fixed jaw 10, and the bearing surface 15' is preferably rounded somewhat in cross-section to conform to the curved face of the stem that slides upon this surface. 7

The shank 11 is providednear the jaw 10 with spaced outwardly extending lugs 16 preferably formed integral: with the shank and adapted to guidethe stem ofthe movable jaw and preventthe same -;-from being displaced laterally. A second pair of spaced lugs 17 may be provided upon the shank nearer the handle 12 to assist in guiding and supporting the stem 14:, and'the lugs 17 are preferably formed integral upon the shank 11. The pairs of lugs 16 and 17 are spaced a substantial distance apart lengthwise of the shank with the result that the movable jaw is strongly held against lateral displacement.

A housing 18 is provided to secure the stem 14c of the adjustable jaw to the main body portion of the wrench. This housing preferably is U-shaped, as shown, and has the spaced legs 19 which straddle the shank 11 and are rigidly secured thereto. The housing 18 may be formed of sheet metal, bent as shown, and different means may be used to secure the legs of the housing to the shank 11. One strong durable construction to this end consists in forming slots 20 in the opposite faces of the shank 11 having the spaced shoulders 20, and the legs 19 of the housing are snugly fitted in these slots with the edges of the legs resting firmly against the shoulders 20 The legs are then secured in place by a rivet or rivets 21 extending through a hole or holes 22 in the shank and having its heads lying in the holes 23 in the legs 19. The depth of the slots 20 preferably is such that when the housing is in place its outer faces lie flush with the side faces of the shank 11 as shown, and one shoulder 20 at each side of the wrench lies in alignment with the rear edge of a lug 24.

The housing 18 is positioned so that its front face abuts against the rear edges 24 of the lugs 16. This is important because the adjusting nut 25 upon the threaded stem rests against the rear face of the housing, and when the wrench is in use the nut exerts a substantial pressure upon the rear face of the housing which tends to move the housing towards the work. But since the lugs extend outwardly a substantial distance from the shank 11 and abut firmly against the front face of the housing, they prevent any movement of the housing frontwardly toward the jaws. The pair of lugs 17 is spaced from the rear face of the housing sufficiently to receive the nut 25 between them and the housing, and the shank 11 is notched as at 26 to form a clearance space in which the nut rotates.

The wrench shown is of the pipe wrench type, and the jaws l0 and 13 are therefore shown as having teeth adapted to grip a round pipe or bar. In pipe wrenches it is necessary that the movable jaw be permitted a limited rocking or swinging movement relative to the main body portion of the wrench so that the teeth may move readily into and out of biting engagement with the work. The housing 18 is therefore constructed to provide a substantial amount of clearance for the stem 14, as indicated at 27, and the housing is made relatively narrow from its front to its rear face to permit the movable jaw the desired amount of swing as the teeth move to and from biting engagement with the work,

The width of the housing, however, from its front to its rear face, may be varied as desired, and when the construction of the present invention is employed in a wrench of the monkey wrench type, the housing may be given a greater width and should embrace the stem more snugly, since the rocking or swinging movement permitted the movable jaw of a pipe wrench is not desired in a monkey wrench.

A wrench constructed in accordance with he present invention is extremely strong and durable, while at the same time it is inexpensive to manufacture, as the main body portion may be formed as a single drop forging to receive the housing 18 which may be secured in place by a rivet. The pair of integral lugs 16 and 17 firmly support the movable jaw from lateral displacement and the front lugs 16 extend outwardly from the shank far enough to support the housing at points opposite the nut 25, at which point the greatest displacing force is exerted. I

V hat is claimed is:

1. In a wrench of the type described, a main body portion having a fixed jaw and a shank connectin the fixed aw to a handle, a relatively movable jaw having a threaded stem, a pair of lugs formed integral with the main body portion near the fixed jaw and extenuing outwardly a substantial distance from the shank to form guides for said stein, an U-shaped housing for the stem having spaced legs, slots formed in the opposite faces of the shank and having spaced shoulders one of which is in alignment with the rear edge of each lug, means for securing the legs in said slots with their opposite edges abutting against said shoulders and with the front face of the housing restin firmly against said lugs at points beyond said shank and at each side of said stem, a second pair of lugs formed integral with the main body portion at a substantial dis tance from the first pair of lugs for holding the stem from lateral displacement, and a nut for the stem confined between the rear face of the housing and the second pair of lugs.

2. In a wrench of the type described, a main body portion having a fixed jaw and a shank connecting the fixed jaw to a handle, a relatively movable jaw having a supporting stem, a pair of integral lugs formed upon the opposite sides of the shank near the fixed jaw and extending outwardly from the shank a substantial distance, a second pair of integral lugs formed upon the opposite sides of the shank near the handle, said pairs of lugs forming strong guides for the stem to prevent it from being displaced laterally, a housing for the stem having spaced legs that straddle said shank and are rigidly secured thereto with a face of the housing in firm abutment with the rear edge of the first pair of lugs at opposite sides of the axis of said stem and thruout the length of the lugs, and a nut for adjusting the stem and resting against the rear face of said housing.

3. In a wrench of the type described, a main body portion having a jaw and a shank connecting the jaw to a handle, a relatively movable jaw having a supporting stem, spaced integral lugs formed upon the opposite sides of said shank near said jaw, to guide said stem and extending outwardly from the shank a substantial distance so that the ends of the lugs lie approximately opposite the axis of the stem, slots formed in the opposite faces of the shank adjacent said lug and so that a side edge of each slot forms a continuation of a rear edge of a lug, an enclosing housing for said stem having spaced legs fitted in said slots and rigidly secured therein with an edge of the housing lying in firm abutting engagement with the rear edges of the lugs at the opposite sides of said stem, a second pair of lugs integral with the shank near said handle and constructed to cooperate with the first pairof lugs to hold the stem from lateral displacement, and a nut for the stem supported to rest against the housing.

4:. In a wrench of the type described, a main body portion having a jaw and a shank connecting the jaw toa handle, a relatively movable jaw having a supportmg stem, a pair of spaced lugs integral with the shank near said jaw and extending from the shank a substantial distance so that the lugs will engage the opposite sides of said stem, a second pair of lugs positioned a substantial distance from the first pair and formed integral with said shank and adapted to cooperate with the first pair of lugs to hold the stem from lateral displacement, a U- shaped housing for said stem adapted to be mounted upon the main body portion of the wrench between said pairs of lugs to relieve the housing from any lateral displacing action imparted to said stem, means for securing the housing to the shank with its forward face abutting against the first mentioned lugs at opposite sides of the stem, and a nut for said stem abutting against the rear face of the housing.

5. In a wrench of the type described, a main body portion having a fixed jaw anda shank connecting the fixed jaw to a handle,a relatively movable jaw having a supporting stem, spaced pairs of lugs formed integral with the shank and projecting therefrom to form guides for the stem of the movable jaw, slots formed in the opposite faces of the shank adjacent said lugs, an enclosing housing for said stem having spaced legs adapted to straddle said shank, means for securing the legs of the housing rigidly in said slots with one face of the housing abutting against a pair of the projecting lugs, and a nut for the stem resting against said housing. 1

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH E. KENERSON. 

